SNOW HILL — The defending state 2A champion Tarboro Vikings did what they do best here Friday, and there was little Greene Central could do to stop it.

Tarboro eviscerated the Rams’ defense for 495 yards rushing, didn’t punt a single time, and rolled to a 47-16 victory that spoiled GC’s homecoming at the James Fulghum Athletic Complex.

Greene Central (1-6, 0-3 Eastern Plains 2A) lost its sixth straight game after a season-opening win against North Lenoir, but still showed plenty of fight against the Vikings (6-0, 2-0).

“They’re stronger, faster, and more athletic, but I knew we’d battle until the final whistle,” GC coach Ken Grantham said. “We’re young and not as talented as most of the teams we play, but I can always count on this group of kids to give me everything they’ve got.”

The Rams did just that against Tarboro, and save for a disastrous first quarter, actually matched up pretty well against the state’s top-ranked 2A team.

GC took the opening kickoff and drove from its own 43 to the Vikings 7 before being stuffed on downs. That failure to score began a downward spiral that saw Tarboro reach paydirt on four successive possessions, two of which began inside the GC 20.

A high snap on a punt set the Vikings up at GC’s 18 on one drive, and a negative-6-yard punt gave the Vikings the ball at the GC 17 on another.

Seven seconds into the second quarter, Tarboro led 21-0 with a pair of scoring drives that covered a grand total of 35 yards.

“The first quarter really put us in a hole,” Grantham said. “If we could have punched that first possession in for a touchdown, we’d have grabbed the momentum, got the crowd fired up, and who knows what might have happened.”

A 64-yard TD run by Quentin Roberson put the Vikings up 27-0 with 9:40 left in the second quarter, but to the Rams’ credit, they refused to fold.

They held Tarboro scoreless the rest of the half and finally dented the scoreboard on a 14-yard scoring scamper by Kurtis Braswell with 45.6 seconds remaining until intermission.

Tarboro’s superior athleticism was on full display in the second half as well. Roberson again exploded for a 64-yard TD run, Radia Bobbitt scored from 46 yards out, and backup Rayshawn Battle set up another score with a 69-yard burst.

All told, the potent Vikings ground game turned out four plays of at least 64 yards.

“Their running backs are so fast that all they need is a little opening to bust a big play,” Grantham said. “They did a good job of controlling the line of scrimmage.”